Presents
Adolphe Blanc
Quintet in E flat Major, Op.37
For Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Piano
Adolphe Blanc's Quintet for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Piano in E flat Major, Op.37 was composed in 1859 and dedicated to one Michele Carafa. The dedication seems some what strange in that Carafa, an Italian nobleman and opera composer who spent most of his life in Paris, was not a wind player. And though he could play the piano, he was no great performer and was not known to have taken part in chamber music soirees. Nor is it likely that he commissioned the work as he was not a wealthy man. The work is in three movements. The first is a massive Allegro as long as the second and third movements taken together. It is charming, graceful, elegant and beautifully written. The piano is nicely integrated into the whole. The short middle movement is a playful lively Scherzo. Blanc keeps the winds in the forefront. It is a little toe-tapping gem which could even be used as an encore. The finale, Allegro, begins with a slow introduction which builds a sense of expectation and leads to a charming and subsequently exciting Allegro.
Adolphe Blanc (1828-1885) was born in the French town of Manosque. His musical talent was recognized early and he entered the Paris Conservatory at age 13 first taking a diploma in violin and then studying composition with the then famous composer Fromental Halevy. Although for a time, he served as a music director of a Parisian theater orchestra, he primarily devoted himself to composing and most of his works were for chamber ensembles. During his lifetime, these works were much appreciated by professionals and amateurs alike and in 1862 he won the prestigious Chartier Chamber Music Prize. Besides the fact that his works are pleasing and deserving of performance, Blanc's historical importance cannot be underestimated. He was one of the very few in France trying to interest the public, then with only ears for opera, in chamber music. He paved the way for the success of the next generation of French composers, Among his chamber works are three string trios, four string quartets, seven string quintets—four for 2 violins, viola, cello and bass or two cellos, the other three for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello—-fifteen piano trios, three piano quartets, four piano quintets, a quntet for winds and piano and a septet for winds and strings.
This fine work for piano and winds, an ensemble little served, is a must for both professionals and amateurs. Long out of print, we are pleased to make it available once again. It will do well in the concert hall but presents no great technical difficulties. It makes an attractive compliment to the Rimsky Korsakov Quintet the Hans Huber Quintet as well as the Anton Rubinstein Quintet, both for the same combination and available from Edition Silvertrust..
Parts: $39.95
